The Chicago Bears had a fantastic first night at the 2024 NFL Draft. They made two crucial picks, securing USC’s Caleb Williams as their new franchise quarterback and adding Washington’s Rome Odunze to their already talented wide receiver room. Despite the uncertainty of the draft board, the Bears stayed at both picks number 1 and 9, which worked out perfectly for them. But it appears that Bears GM Ryan Poles almost took a different approach. He shared that his Assistant GM Ian Cunningham had to intervene at one point, to prevent him from making an unwise decision. One that Bears fans would have been all to familiar with given the previous front office.
“If you told me we’d end up with Caleb and Rome a few weeks ago, I would have say you’re crazy.. I was nervous he wasn’t going to be there. Ian (Cunningham) had to hold me back from trading up and doing something crazy.“
Ryan Poles’ interest in trading up for Rome Odunze indicates how highly the Bears valued him in the draft. According to NFL.com, the Bears managed to draft the third and fourth best prospects of the the entire 2024 class:
- Malik Nabers, WR
- Marvins Harrison Jr, WR
- Rome Odunze, WR
- Caleb Williams, QB
It looks like Ryan Poles learned from the past Bears GM and thankfully did not pull a Ryan Pace. Being patient can really pay off in the end.
